


Flyboys

by mixeradiotv (Mikearoni)



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Rated T for Mild Language, Wings AU, idk what else to add yall these boys got wings, may add more in the future!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24586447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikearoni/pseuds/mixeradiotv
Summary: Sometimes you're late to work. Sometimes your shoulders hurt. Sometimes your new coworker is mothman's talented son.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	Flyboys

Gordon was certain it was just bad posture.

He wasn't exactly an expert at keeping himself in top physical shape. He's a theoretical physicist. He's either sitting and writing or doing menial tasks, and that's not necessarily conducive to his wellbeing. He wasn't surprised when he found his shoulders started aching. It happens. He can focus just the same anyways.

He wasn't worried when it started getting worse. Not at first.

He started trying to incorporate more stretches into his daily routine, which was a chore in of itself, but for those first few days, he felt better, a little more at ease, a little more relaxed.

It didn't stick, however. It was when the aching became a sharper pain that he really began to worry. It was starting to distract from his work, which he knows Black Mesa won't appreciate. He let himself take a moment--just a moment--to lay his head down and shut his eyes. And of course he was noticed.

"Mister Freeman..?"

He shot up in his seat almost immediately to see a man he's never met, holding a can and staring down at him.

"Are you--are you feeling alright?"

Gordon rubbed his eyes and leaned--albeit awkwardly--on the back of his chair. At least the guy was being nice. "Yeah. I'm fine, just uh. A little sore in the back."

"Is it.. bothering you?"

"Doing a survey on office chairs or something? I mean--I guess. But I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about, man."

The man stared for just a moment longer, fiddling with his half-empty can, and then nodded like he just decided on something in his head.

The next day Gordon was informed he'd be moving to a new workspace.

He couldn't tell whether or not it was meant to be a promotion, which would've bothered him more if he wasn't increasingly concerned about the state of his back. He spotted something visible on his shoulder blades in the mirror one morning, and it honestly shook him. He didn't know jack shit about medical science, much less any weird conditions that manifest like that. But, as always, he ran the risk of running late to work. He'll figure it out when he gets home next, he decided.

What he didn't anticipate was passing out at work.

The next time he's conscious, Gordon finds himself lying on his stomach in a break room. God--what happened? At least his glasses didn't fall off, and his back doesn't hurt as much. He groaned and rolled onto his side, only to spot the same man from a few days ago standing by the far vending machine, holding an identical can. Except... something's different this time. Is he wearing a cape...?

God, it's weird to see stripes of color amidst a billion white lab coats. Whatever the red thing on the guy's back is, it looks like a weird cape, patterned almost like moth wings. A weird, buggy, shifting cape.

...Oh my god it's moving.

"How--how are you feeling, Mister Freeman?"

Gordon just stares, dumbstruck. The guy's got human-sized buggy moth wings on his back and they're shifting like they're alive.

"Sorry I didn't, uh--introduce myself before, I had to stick to codes, and--and there's a lot of those. At Black Mesa. But we--we're gonna be working together!"

He doesn't like the sound of extra codes, but as he sits himself up on the couch, adjusting his glasses, he can't help but note his new coworker's smile looks genuine. So do the mothman parts. Jesus. How is he meant to respond? He feels a little like an idiot for not saying anything, but--

"It--it's really nice to meet you for real this time, Mister Freeman--I'm Tommy."

"...Tommy--" Gordon took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose, and took in a deep breath. "..I gotta ask, I really do--you know you got a mothman thing going on?? I don't--listen, I don't know what's going on back there, but--dude. Dude! You've got literal bug wings!"

"Well.. well yeah, I was born with them! I don't think you were though, Mister Freeman."

"Well no, I--what?"

"And--and I don't think you're a moth. I don't know for sure yet, but--"

"Wait--Tommy? Stop. Stopstopstopstopstop."

Tommy stopped.

"Am I.." It sounded absurd enough in his head that saying it out loud was a feat in and of itself. "Okay. Is this…just. Let me know if I’m being stupid, but.” Breathe in, breathe out.

“...I’m not about to sprout some fucking wings, am I?”


End file.
